Magnificent monkfish

Thu, Apr 02, 2009

A big ugly swimming mouth, a stomach attached to a tail, or simply plain ugly, Lophius piscatorius may be many things, but pretty it is not. The monkfish is an extremely popular fish on the tables of Irish restaurants, and for good reason. The meat is delicate and firm in texture with an extremely pleasant aftertaste, particularly when simply cooked in a little butter and finished with no more than a squeeze of lemon juice.

Celebrate with spring lamb

Thu, Apr 02, 2009

There is no better way to celebrate Easter than with spring lamb! Bord Bia has come up with some great new recipes which combine both traditional and far away flavours to deliver versatile and mouthwatering dishes.

Have a Happy Easter at the Harbour Hotel

Thu, Apr 02, 2009

The Harbour Hotel with the K Bar and Krusoes restaurant serving fresh, good quality, food, is located just two minutes’ walk from Eyre Square, and with easy access from all routes is the perfect setting for Easter Sunday lunch.

Hungarian dental discounts will make you smile

Thu, Apr 02, 2009

Many Irish people are now opting to travel to Hungary to have dental work done, for a third of what they would pay in Ireland.

Style Counsel

Thu, Apr 02, 2009

With Communions, confirmations, weddings, and other events are around the corner, in this week’s column you will find advice on how to look fab for a big day out.

Banish thread veins with Laserderm

Thu, Apr 02, 2009

Are you constantly checking your make-up? Do you need to cover your red facial veins daily? Do you always look flushed and red?

How to beat a clothes crisis

Thu, Mar 26, 2009

Does every morning feels like a mini meltdown? You open your wardrobe and you cannot find anything to wear. You end up wearing the same and never wear the clothes that you have paid good money for.

Money tight? Buy right and sleep tight

Thu, Mar 26, 2009

Isn't it great to know that in hard times we can still treat ourselves to a little luxury at incredibly affordable prices? After a sell out sale in Castlebar recently, Bedding, Bath n' Basics has announced it is coming to the Menlo Park Hotel this Sunday for a massive one day sale from 11am to 5pm.

Great value on kitchens — and bedrooms too

Thu, Mar 26, 2009

Rite Price Kitchens offers custom made kitchens and bedrooms at cash and carry prices.

Designer tea

Thu, Mar 26, 2009

Now that we have had 10 years of coffee houses springing up in every conceivable space, the ‘cup of tea’ has nearly been consigned to history. Indeed the phrase ‘Would you like a cup of tea?’ seems to be taken by many to read as, ‘Would you like a cup of coffee?’ Except for a certain generation where the ‘cuppa’ still reigns supreme, most people are now devoted coffee consumers.

Simple steps to weight gain

Thu, Mar 26, 2009

Ninety nine per cent of people simply do not consume enough food calories and are eating the wrong food. It happens time after time and someone will ask me how to gain weight, my first question is: “What have you eaten today?” and without a doubt most will say not much. You have to eat to fuel the body, plain and simple. Most men do not consume sufficient amounts of protein, complex carbs, fats, and they keep feeding on simple carbs that won’t help in weight gain and muscle gain.

Duck — a tasty treat for any occasion

Thu, Mar 26, 2009

Duck meat is succulent and full of flavour but all too often only consumed on special occasions. There are many breeds of duck, each with its own distinctive culinary attributes. The Indian runner, Aylesbury, Peking, Norfolk, Long Island, Gressingham, Barbary, Rouen, and mallard are just some of the species of duck available for the table.

At home With La Maison Chic

Thu, Mar 26, 2009

Choosing the right floor for your home is a big decision. It will set the tone for the whole interior of your house and is the base for everything else you put in a room.

When it comes to making a decision about flooring, keep in mind such factors as comfort, warmth, safety, and maintenance. Each family is unique and will have different demands and expectations for their flooring choice. A large family with kids will have a different set of needs than a retired couple. Pet owners will have particular requirements as well. Allergy and asthma sufferers will need to keep a clean and dust free environment.

Bringing it all back home — generations of love for the garden

Thu, Mar 26, 2009

There is an old Irish saying “Briseann an dúchas trí shúile an chait,” which, loosely translated, means you can‘t deny your roots. When the Cunningham brothers were looking back through some old family photographs recently, they came across a picture of their maternal grandmother Else, taken about 1890 in Helsinki when she was a young girl. In the photograph she is in her garden posing with her trusty watering can. Over a century later her descendants are still in the garden. Her picture can be seen in the weekly advertisement for Dangan House Nurseries. Paddy and Peter Cunningham have been partners in business since the mid-1970s, initially selling their produce in the Saturday market before opening the gardens of their home to the public in the early 1980s.

Receiving the gift of life for Christmas

Thu, Mar 26, 2009

When Eoin Madden woke up last Christmas morning he realised he had been given the best present ever.

O’Toole’s house in the Claddagh

Thu, Mar 26, 2009

The house with the chairs outside was O’Toole’s near the top of Rope Walk in the Claddagh. The photograph was taken c1925. It was obviously a fine day because of the chairs being left out for people to sit in the sun. Beside them you can see a washing tub, and on the front of the house to the right, there is some washing hanging out to dry. Occasional geese can be seen sunning themselves. These were typical Claddagh homes before the village was knocked down and rebuilt.

Galway was ready to serve...

Thu, Mar 26, 2009

On the evening that France and Britain declared war on Germany, September 3 1939, the 13,500-ton liner SS Athenia, chartered by the Cunard Line, and bound for Montreal with 1,418 passengers and crew was torpedoed, without warning, 250 miles northwest of Malin Head in the North Atlantic*. The following day the Norwegian vessel, Knute Nelson, was steaming towards Galway with 367 shocked and injured survivors, and asked that the city be prepared to receive them. Other survivors were picked up by British naval vessels and brought elsewhere for treatment, but in total 112 passengers and crew were killed in the attack, 28 of them Americans sailing for home as war was declared in Europe.

The message for Galway to receive survivors was relayed through Malin Head radio which had already heard the distress signals from the Athenia, and witnessed the fearful drama at sea. Galway, initially stunned that it should be involved so soon in a rescue resulting from war at sea, reacted magnificently.

Anthony Ryan’s, a one-hundred-year-old family business

Thu, Mar 19, 2009

Anthony Ryan came to Galway from Craughwell to work as an accountant in Donnellan’s hardware shop at number 16, Shop Street. While he was there a new apprentice named Katherine Morrisson from Drumfin in County Sligo came to work there. They started going out together and later married. They decided to set up their own business and they managed to lease number 18 Shop Street.

St Patrick passed us by, but some magic remains...

Thu, Mar 19, 2009

Another St Patrick’s Day has slipped by, and I am reminded that although there are several wells associated with saints in and around Galway city, St Patrick, on his many journeys around Ireland, notably in Mayo, passed Galway by.

The principal Galway Patrician site is Maam Éan, the only pass through the Maumturk Mountains which stretch from Killary Bay to a north-west inlet of Lough Corrib. Without this pass (a pleasant walk signposted from the main Galway/Clifden road, or from the other side of the mountains, signposted on the Maam Bridge/Leenane road), it was a long way round for drovers and shepherds, travellers and pilgrims.

Alan & Susan’s Pantry, Oranmore

Thu, Mar 19, 2009

I have made passing reference to this super new deli and now that they have had time to source all the goodies it is worth telling you about some of the unusual and great tasting items I have sampled. The word ‘deli’ is a highly abused term over the last few years and there are so many it is hard to tell the good from the bad — indeed a real deli is a distinct rarity and this is certainly the best for many miles around the Oranmore area. It is tucked around the corner from Main Street, Oranmore, facing the astroturf pitch with loads of free parking, even at the front door.

E-paper

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